Reading Scoreboard, Baby left such a bad taste in my mouth that I sought out some lighter fare to recover. I started with The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan, which was probably not the best choice, since it was pretty dark and violent. The protagonist, Jake, is the last known member of a species that is going extinct. He’s over 200 years old and sick of living. Meanwhile, there is a paramilitary organization that is tracking him and trying to kill him. Jake is putting his affairs in order and getting ready to die when he discovers a reason to live. This is not for Twihards or the young adult audience - too much sex and brutality. Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I didn’t like it very much - a little too disturbing.
After that I tucked into Started Early, Took my Dog, by Kate Atkinson. This is her fourth book featuring private investigator Jackson Brodie, and since I loved the other three, I was eager to read this one. Although I enjoyed it considerably, I don’t think it is as good as the previous three (Case Histories, One Good Turn, and When Will There be Good News). For one thing, I missed the tart-tongued Edinburgh police detective Louise Monroe. For another, the plot was less intricate and compelling - no kidnapped doctors, no dead Eastern European hookers washing ashore - just a long ago illegal adoption and some police corruption. Not all of the plot threads were tied up at the end, so perhaps they will be revisited in another book? I don’t mean to be picky because even on her worst day, Atkinson is better than most writers, and this was an enjoyable book.
I recently caught the 3-part BBC television miniseries Case Histories, which was shown on PBS. The title is somewhat misleading, since it is actually based on the first three books, not just Case Histories. Although some plot elements were left out or simplified, this was a fantastic British mystery series. Jason Isaacs played Brodie and he was perfect for the role. The rest of the casting was top notch as well.
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